Zugzwang
by Artemis Zephyr
Summary: A whole new perspective on a certain trio during the Duelist Kingdom. [Bakura/Tristan/Ryou Yaoi.]
1. Initial Contact

Title: Zugzwang – A chess term that describes a situation where a player would rather skip his turn (which is illegal) than to make a move, as all of the possibilities would only damage the player's game. It is German for "forced to move".

Initial Contact

__

The devil is a gentlemen who never goes where he is not welcome." – John A. Lincoln

Ryou sighed as he watched the duel laid out before him.

"Guess there's nothing we can do but wait for the duel to play out. Pegasus holds all the cards right now." He didn't even bother with trying to keep the pessimism out of his voice. "As long as he holds us prisoner we're going to be at his mercy no matter what the outcome."

Tristan frowned for a moment. What Ryou said seemed to be true, but he wouldn't give up now. One thing he had learned from the group he hung out with was that you could never give up until it was over, and even then you made hell for the opponent. He nodded. "Right."

Tristan turned and started to jog down the hallway. He had an idea, but it would take some luck if he was going to pull it off. He also had to act quickly. The security seemed to all be seven-foot tall men with an insane giant-muscle complex. Not good.

"Tristan, where are you going?!" Ryou called out.

Tristan slowed and looked back. "I'm gonna see if I can find Kaiba or Mokuba anywhere. Because if I can get them back, even without their souls, Pegasus won't hold all the cards!" He turned back and took off down the hall. He would pull this off. He had to.

Ryou felt something inside him stir, almost as though he was stretching into an impossible amount of mass. He calmed himself and tapped into his dark's link. Once the connection was established he was free to hear his other's thoughts for him.

**__**

A search for their empty vessels. Not a bad idea.

_What's going on? Why is that a good idea? _Ryou asked worriedly. The conversation was taking place so fast that Ryou waited patiently for the reply, while watching Tristan turn around slowly, almost as though he were moving through thick water. The edges of his vision always clouded with a misty haze when he opened the connection, and everything always slowed down. At times it could be as much of an advantage as a disadvantage.

**__**

Those soulless bodies could be of use to me. Do not question my motives.

Ryou bit his lip, or would have if he had been moving on the outside. These were his friends. He knew what Bakura wanted with them, as his darker half clued him in on things, whether it was out of trust or just the fact that he considered Ryou so insignificant enough not to offer a threat he didn't quite know. What he did know was that he couldn't exactly have his demented spirit taking control of one of their bodies. Granted Seto wasn't anyone's friend, and Mokuba could be a bit of a pain, but that didn't me he would put them through this. Tristan was completely turned around now and his left foot was stepping forward. Ryou could tell that he was going to run.

__

I won't let you! He shouted. Praying that his voice held all of the courage that he did not necessarily feel.

**__**

I didn't exactly expect you to cooperate.

Ryou would have responded to Tristan's last comment if the familiar sickening feeling hadn't come over him again. He whimpered mentally as the world spun, and Bakura took over. He was able to watch a few more seconds as Tristan disappeared into the shadows of the hallway, but then all his vision faded and he could hear and see only through his other.

/ - / - / - / - / - / - / - / - / - / - / - / - / - / - / - / - / - /

"This is crazy!" Joey shouted as the duel progressed.

Tea merely gave him another doe-eyed look and turned to whom she thought was Ryou. "Uh, where's Tristan?" 

Ryou felt a slam and looked through the 'eye' to see what was going on. He called the hologram that appeared in his soul room the 'eye' merely because it mimed the one in his Sennen Ring. The hologram would appear and he would be able to see what was happening on the outside. Tea's lips were moving very slowly and Ryou noticed that no sound was coming out.

**__**

Take over. Talk to this girl. She wants to know where Tristan is. You best not try anything, little one. Understand?

Before Ryou could even answer he was thrust back into the real world and everything was moving at normal speed. Tea was looking at him and he realized he hadn't answered her yet. Trying to shake the dizziness away, Ryou thought up a response.

"Oh…Tristan…He wandered off somewhere by himself." He paused unsure of how to continue. A twinge of pain in his mind forced him to think faster. "I'm not sure where." 

Joey, who had been listening to the conversation only half-heartedly, looked at them. "Probably just went to the john. Forget him. This is just getting interesting."

Joey turned back to the dueling arena, apparently more interested in what Yami Yugi and Pegasus had to say than where his best friend, who was prone to wandering, had walked off to. The two men continued to banter on the lower platform as Tea and Joey watched and Ryou listened, not really caught up in the entire spectacle. His thoughts were wandering more towards a certain brunette who was running around downstairs in the dungeons. A sudden outburst from Tea caused him to look up.

"Did you hear that? If Yugi loses, Pegasus will steal his soul too!"

Ryou nodded at the comment, but went back to thinking as he felt something pulling inside him again.

**__**

Can't stop thinking about him, can we?

He's my friend, was the lame reply. He was feeling nauseous from the world slowing down again. He was pulled inward by his darker half, and fear clenched his stomach as he thought his other would take over. Instead, he found himself face to face with Bakura in the hall between their soul room doors.

Bakura studied his other; head to toe. Ryou had been broken by him not to long ago. The night he had returned from the Shadow Realm and saved the boy along with his idiot friends had been a turning point for them both.

He'd beaten Ryou for his betrayal. Thrown the boy around and verbally assaulted him, too. He'd been prepared to even take him, as he had not touched him like that before. His other had cried at first, making him angrier, but eventually calmed and was resigned to his face. Looking into petrified brown eyes Bakura made a decision. He propositioned the boy that night.

He told Ryou that he would become what he always wanted, a guardian, a friend, even a lover, if he would only cooperate with him. No more beatings unless deserved, no unwanted touches unless wished for, and no needless deaths. Ryou had stared at him incredulously for a few moments, but conceded in the end. It was obvious that he couldn't fight and win against his other half, but if cooperation spared the lives of his friends, than he was willing to trust the tomb raider. Bakura had disappeared after he gave his answer, and not resurfaced until now.

**__**

He is quite pretty. The Yami said, tapping a finger lightly on his chin, thinking.

Ryou's mouth hung open in the corridor. _What do you mean?!_

Bakura stared at Ryou, almost as though he was annoyed by the sudden outburst of the other, as it interrupted his thoughts.

**__**

Your friends are talking to you.

With that Ryou was thrown back into reality again. This was getting bothersome. His head whirled and he had to remember what Joey had just said. It had been motivational and praising of…Yugi! Yes, they had been talking about the duel.

Almost giddily relieved with having remembered, Ryou said the first thing that came to his mind in a near shout. "True, he bet his own soul on the outcome!"

Joey looked at him, raising an eyebrow, but let the outburst slide. "That's our Yugi. He'd do anything for anybody." 

Ryou tried to sound normal, but his voice still came out too excited, even for him. "Yes, but this is the biggest gamble I've ever seen anybody take on Duel Monsters!" 

Joey ignored him completely this time, too caught up in the duel to care about Ryou acting weird again. The guy was prone to doing it anyway.

The duel continued and Ryou sighed, again only watching unenthusiastically. He didn't even listen to Joey and Tea's conversation that was happening. He simply didn't care at the moment. Something told him Yami Yugi would win, whether it was the cliché hero rule or merely the other's supreme dueling capacity, the white-haired boy didn't know. He caught the end of something Joey said.

"…and why the heck hasn't Tristan come back yet? We should all be here supporting Yugi!"

At the mention of the brunette, Ryou's ears perked, but he fought for apathy in his voice.

"Beats me. Maybe he got lost." 

Joey sighed heavily. "Good grief. Don't he realize he's missing the match of the century?!"

Ryou merely nodded and let his head be supported by his hands.

Joey continued to watch the duel, and at a particular point when Pegasus had yet again second-guessed one of Yami's moves that he chose to comment. "This is a nightmare! We all know Yugi can beat anybody in a fair duel, but if Pegasus is able to read his mind...!" 

Ryou couldn't stop himself from speaking. He wanted Joey to understand that it was Pegasus' Sennen Item that was controlling the outcome and not his friend's dueling skills.

"It's what makes his Eye one of the most powerful Sennen Items. He can read anyone's mind he chooses." He paused and then added. "Anyone who tries to oppose him must use extreme caution."

Joey sighed.

"I guess so." He turned to regard Ryou with a suspicious look. "You seem to know an awful lot about that eye, Bakura.

Ryou was about to respond, but felt the world slow again. This time he went with it, slipping into the void, and watched with fascination as Joey's body slowed down to a mere shiver of movement.

**__**

So you do listen to the things I tell you. Bakura smirked and ran a hand through Ryou's hair, causing the boy to shiver. He was in the hallway again. Ryou was torn between letting himself fall into the sweet caress and telling his other that he couldn't do this. That they were meant to be enemies and not…this.

**__**

Good things happen when you cooperate with me, little one. Ryou was uneasy at the use of his other's pet name for him, but Bakura leaned in a claimed the other's lip before another thought could take its place. His will slipped away, and he let himself be guided by his other, who kissed him deeply. This was so wrong, Ryou thought.

It was either shock or fear that kept Ryou from moving, and he was a little too busy to really care. Why on earth would his other want to kiss him? His mind briefly floated back to their conversation that night. _Or even a lover if it so suits me…_His other's words came back to him. Ryou could never forgive him for the things he'd done to both him and his friends. Bakura growled and traced the seam of Ryou's lips with his tongue. The shorter one sighed.

Then again, some people were just easy to forgive.

To Be Continued…


	2. Hybrid Theory

Hybrid – 2. A person whose background is a blend of diverse cultures or traditions; 3.(b) something that has two different types of components performing essentially the same function. (_Merriam Webster's Collegiate Dictionary)_

Hybrid Theory

Bakura pulled away and raised an eyebrow at Ryou who stared at him with wide eyes. Well, initial contact had gone well, Bakura thought idly.

**__**

I'm taking over, think about what you want to tell that Tristan boy when we see him again…

With that Bakura disappeared and Ryou felt a pull and looked over his shoulder. His soul room door flung open and he was pulled inside.

Bakura held back a hiss of pain as normal reality sped up again without him being prepared. Too much time was spent in his other's mind, he concluded. He would have to get out more. He dimly realized that he was talking about himself and the ring to that blonde kid, Wheeler or something.

"…just a little. One thing I don't know, is if any mere mortal can stand against it." Bakura wanted to laugh at his personal joke, but refrained.

Joey's eyes glinted for a moment with determination. "If not, there's no one else who can save Grandpa and the others!"

Bakura ignored him, deciding that the boy rarely had anything worth saying, and looked down onto the platform to watch a little. He saw a man standing near Pegasus, talking on a portable phone. A quick flash through his other's registry of objects and he quickly labeled it a mobile or rather cell phone.

Bakura frowned, somehow knowing that it was important. No one would call in the middle of the Duelist Kingdom Finals if it wasn't. He channeled some of his own energy, but mainly his light's into the Ring. He felt it spread out towards the human and the conversation was magnified for him.

"Then what are your orders, sir?" A static-covered voice asked through the contraption.

The older man, whom Bakura could see, turned away from his boss and glared at the phone receiver. "Listen. Secure all the exits. The boy must not be freed."

"Yes sir."

Bakura felt a smile come over his face. So Tristan had managed to alert security to his presence and intentions for the other boy. If the brunette did manage to free the boy, Bakura would be hard pressed to do something worthwhile to persuade him of his loyalty to their little cause. He had underestimated the handsome, little mortal. Bakura licked his lips slightly and drowned out the inane babble of the others while he formulated a plan. 

He mused that even though he wasn't sure if he could move his soul from one host to another that he could at least maintain control of the body for a little while. This would be marginally helpful when it came to getting his hands on that Sennen Eye. A female voice floated by his mind as he started to pay attention again.

"That's right. You can still beat him!" The young brunette called to Yami.

Bakura smirked at the comment. Could the Pharaoh beat Pegasus? He didn't really know or care, so long as an opening was presented to him to steal that Eye. Croquet made another sudden jerk and picked his phone up.

**__**

Let's see what Croquet's up to, shall we?

Ryou remained silent, and Bakura had to hold back a smirk. So his other wasn't all that keen on hunting down his little crush? Ah well, it was all workable. He pushed his power into the Ring again and felt his mind float nearer the conversation. 

"What?! What do you mean Mokuba's missing? He is instrumental in the plan to take over KaibaCorp! Find him immediately, idiot." Bakura smirked at the other's obvious frustration. "How hard can it be to recapture a soulless body? Do not make me come down there!" 

**__**

Interesting. 

Bakura mused as he turned away from the balcony. It seemed Tristan had done him a favor. Granted it was not expected, nor on purpose, but a favor none the less.

The blonde, of whom the Pharaoh seemed to favor, turned towards him as he started to walk away. "You got somewhere to go, Ryou?"

Bakura swallowed and remained turned away. He forced his voice a bit higher and called from memory his other's faint accent. "Yes. I thought I'd go and check on Tristan." 

The girl turned to Joey. "He has been gone a long time."

"Too long, if you ask me! I mean, what could be more important than this match?!" 

Bakura sneered, but remained turned away. "I'll be sure to ask him." 

/ - / - / - / - / - / - / - / - / - / - / - / - / - / - / - / - / - /

The moment Bakura turned the corner he took off at a run.

**__**

The chase is on, little one.

Ryou remained stubbornly silent. Bakura smirked this time. His long legs carried him down flight after flight of stairs until he was sure he was in the castle's 'dungeon'.

**__**

Where are you, little Mokuba?

The spirit was going to get lost if he continued any further looking for a moving target in these corridors. He, again, fed some of his energy into the Ring. The Ring pointed to the left with three of its spikes and he smiled.

The spirit turned a few more corners, following his Item, until he heard voices ahead. Slowing, he looked around the edge, in a way grateful for the shadows.

Tristan stood with Mokuba on his back, facing Bakura whom he could not see. Bakura could see two guards coming, but their pace indicated that it was not a usual mid-finalist round check. Ryou still would not respond to him, even though he had graciously left their link open. It had taken some convincing on his part to get the boy to admit his feelings for Tristan, but he had cracked after some mental and a little physical…persuasion.

"Look, he's got Mokuba!" 

"Stop him!" Another guard cried out. Bakura rolled his eyes. And this was all Pegasus could afford?

"Hold it right there!" Bakura snorted this time. Like the boy would really turn around and give himself up.

Tristan growled and turned around to face the guards, Bakura raised an eyebrow. Tristan didn't seem to notice the weight of the younger Kaiba on his back. Too many other things to think about really.

"No place left to run, punk. You're surrounded," a guard sneered as he took a step closer. Tristan slid around to face him, and then glanced back at the other one. Bakura raised another eyebrow as the brunette's backside was presented to him. At least Ryou had good taste.

"Now hand over the kid, tough guy." Growled one of the security members, who looked surprisingly like a gorilla in Bakura's opinion, probably as smart as one, too.

"No. Come and get him." Bakura smiled. Well, the boy had spunk. He could give him that at least. He stepped out of the shadows, always having been attracted to well announced entrances.

"Lay one hand on the boy and you will rue the day you imbeciles were ever born."

In response the guards looked at each other and then in the direction that they thought the tomb raider's voice had come. Unfortunately, the halls created an interesting echo, and the guards ended up looking off to the spirit's left.

Tristan turned to regard Bakura, whom he could see. "Ryou, get outta here!" Upon more slander from the guards and a disinterested look from his 'friend' Tristan felt the fear beginning to rise in him. He knew that he could get away from the security, but Ryou was another story. He figured the other boy would rather try and reason at the end of a gun barrel rather than try to out run the shooter.

"C'mere, punk," the bigger of the two guards growled.

"You heard him. Now step out of those shadows right now," piped in the other.

Tristan swallowed and the shouted in the direction that the guards were yelling. "Run for it, Ryou! Go on, save yourself!" 

The guards apparently couldn't see Bakura, though how they managed that, what with his bright silver-colored hair and all was beyond the tomb raider. "Step outta those shadows! Or else."

Bakura sighed quietly, something else of Ryou that he had picked up that displeased him. 

"Or else you'll do what, you pathetic little drones?"

"Huh? We warned ya." Came another one. They really needed to work on their response times. Tristan's eyes widened, but narrowed as he caught on to the fact that it wasn't the normal Ryou he was talking to.

"Yes, and now I am warning you. Don't trifle with me," Bakura replied evenly. He reached into his other's jeans and pulled out his deck and removed a card. Looking at it, he decided it would do…for now.

"What's that?" One of the guards asked.

Bakura smiled and held the card up, creating a link between it and the Ring. "Chain Energy!" 

Iridescent cords broke forward from a point that Tristan could no more see let alone discern. One of the guards spoke up.

"Urg. What on earth--I'm stuck!"

"Me too. But how?" The uglier one replied.

Tristan watched in amazement as Bakura used the Shadow Realm's energy to bind the guards. What was going on…? He would have stood there gaping longer, had the urge for an explanation not taken over.

"Ryou! What'd you do?!"

The Ryou look-alike, turned and gave Tristan a not so innocent look back. If he hadn't been so confused by the magic, Tristan would have sworn that the other had winked at him.

"Come. Now is our chance to escape." Bakura responded, turning back and running off into one of the darker halls.

This couldn't be a good thing, but by the looks of it the guards were not about to stay idle even in the confines of the Chain Energy. He looked over his shoulder as the other spoke. "Uh, okay." When Bakura started off, it only took Tristan a moment to realize that he wouldn't be able to catch up. Shifting the weight of the boy on his back he looked down a darkened hallway. "Hey, wait up!" 

To Be Continued…


	3. Propositional Calculus

Propositional Calculus – the branch of symbolic logic that uses symbols for unanalyzed propositions and logical connectives only. _(Merriam Webster's Collegiate Dictionary)_

Propositional Calculus

"If one is to be called a liar, one may as well make an effort to deserve the name."

A. A. Milne

"Hey, those brats are getting away!" The guard yelled as he twisted and turned against the energy chains that bound him.

"I can see that, moron," his companion replied, giving one last ditch effort to struggle. The chains slackened and then broke off of him and then the other guard.

Grabbing his phone, the first guard acted quickly and called Croquet. "A-squad here. We need back-up!"

His partner looked off into the distance, barely being able to make out the shapes of two teenagers running and making a left at the end of the hall. He started after them, leaving the other man to finish the phone call and follow him when he was done.

/ - / - / - / - / - / - / - / - / - / - / - / - / - / - / - / - / - / - / - / - / - /

Tristan followed the hazy silhouette of Bakura. He would shift Mokuba every now and then, but for the most part he tried to keep the silver-haired boy in his line of vision—which wasn't easy, given the many twists and turns in their path.

"Hey Ryou…er…whoever you are! What was it...you did back there? Using that magic card...only for real!" Tristan had enough sense to know that who he was dealing with couldn't possibly be Ryou…could it?

The other boy turned his head back and flippantly replied, "Not now. Those guards are still behind us!" 

Tristan sprinted ahead for a moment to look at him. The two came to a stop by a door. Maybe this would lead to a way out. Or more guards. He really hated his string of luck lately.

"Okay. But something's up with you and you're going to tell me what," Tristan panted, reaching for the door handle only to hear the tell-tale _clack_ noise, signaling that it was locked. "It's a no-go. This door's locked."

Bakura snarled at the door. Tristan raised an eyebrow and the silver-haired boy replied with a smirk. They took off running again. The guards couldn't be too far behind them now.

Tristan took the lead. How, he wasn't sure, and the thought of whoever or whatever had possessed Ryou running along behind him made him a bit uneasy. He climbed staircase after staircase, assuming that they had found their way into one of the many towers. He saw another door at the top of the flight he was on and let out an extra spurt of energy to get up the stairs.

"Look," He yelled grabbing the handle and wrenching it open. "A way out—Whoa!"

Bakura didn't have time to really think about the morality of what he was doing. All his mind registered was the bare minimum needed to make a decision. Tristan was falling over a ledge. He was going to fall about seven stories and take Mokuba Kaiba with him. Decision: Not good, fix it.

Bakura reached out with a reflex that had been honed from years of pick-pocketing, and the thought of lifting Tristan's wallet crossed the thief's mind, but he ignored it for the time being. Wrenching the brunette back in, he raised an eyebrow at the other's flushed appearance as Tristan stumbled backwards.

Tristan fixed his trench coat while letting his breath come back under control. 

"Whoa! I owe you one, Ryou," Tristan said, breathing heavily. "Well, seeing as how jumping's outta the question, I'd say we're as good as caught."

Bakura wasn't really listening. The guards had come up onto the landing just below them. He glared downwards with clenched fists. It couldn't end this way, but they were really beginning to run out of options. Damn.

"Well, we tried." Tristan sighed, but knitted his brow in thought. There had to be a way…

"What do you mean, 'we tried'?" Bakura said, turning to regard the brunette. He was beginning to enjoy his company. He could keep up with him, and though he was willing to give up, Bakura had a feeling that there was some other motivation. "We are not captured just yet!" 

"What're ya talking about? We're totally out-manned." Tristan said, raising an eyebrow and shifting the weight of the other body again. Mokuba was getting heavy.

"We won't be after I enlist some help from the Shadow Realm." Bakura reached for the deck in his pocket.

An alarm bell went off somewhere in Tristan's head. Where had he heard this term used before? He couldn't remember, but he knew it was right there on the edge of his subconscious.

"Huh? The Shadow Realm?" The name itself implied bad things. "This can't be good." 

"Give it up, kiddies. It's over for you."

Bakura glowered down the stairs. "You ignorant mortals! It's far from over; we have barely even begun to play. And I'll show you the cards Fate has dealt you."

"Come on and try us, you little freak," the other guard snickered up the stairway.

Bakura grinned, and felt the blood rush through his veins. Now the hunt was really on, and in a much more satisfactory way. Teaching these idiots a lesson might do away with some of his more violent tendencies, lest he take them out on the unsuspecting brunette.

"Now I'll teach you the true meaning of fear, as I summon the Man-Eater Bug with the power of my Millennium Ring!" Bakura couldn't help but add the flamboyant touch. The more he told these fools, the weaker he made them sound by letting them know they offered no threat.

Tristan's eyes widened and he felt a small sheen of sweat creep out on his skin. The voice; the Ryou look-alike hadn't even bothered to mask it. This wasn't Ryou, but where had he heard this voice before. "What's going on?"

A light appeared and a Man-Eater Bug stepped out into existence. It was huge, it smelled, and worst of all, Tristan realized dimly—it was real. The bug roared and stalked closer on the landing towards the guards.

"Oh no! He brought the monster on the card to life! And he's going to sic it on us," one guard squeaked out pathetically 

Tristan swallowed and looked at Bakura who in turn smiled down at the guards like I child would smile at a very large bug that it was about to squash. "Now you mortal fools, prepare to meet your doom."

Almost as though his words had signaled it to move, the Man-Eater Bug moved forward and that guards shuffled and looked rather frightened. The bug swiped at one of them, who in turn screamed.

Bakura smiled. "Present-day humans are so fun to terrorize, don't you think?" he said, looking over his shoulder at the brunette.

"No, I don't. But then again, I am a present-day human. What the heck are you?" Tristan demanded, feeling uneasy. Sure he didn't like the guards, and sure they were going to die, and sure he had no problem with that, but what kept this 'Dark Ryou' from doing the same to him?

Bakura threw a sidelong glance at Tristan and drew a Morphing Jar from his deck. "Hmph. Me? Someone with great power. Soon to be even greater. But I can't spend the day having fun, I have things to do." Bakura smiled again and threw the card out, calling energy into it. "So I'll summon the Morphing Jar to this plane and put an end to their pathetic whining!"

There was a flash, a bit more screaming, a sound like a toilet unclogging itself, and then silence.

"The Jar's magic has sent those ridiculous thugs to the Graveyard," The spirit stated smugly.

Tristan, for the hundredth time, swallowed thickly. This 'being' or whatever, had power. He walked down the stairs and looked around, amazed. The power to dispatch enemies like that, without thought or consideration, was appealing, but at the same time forced Tristan to realize the immensity of just what he was dealing with. 

Bakura crossed his arms, unable to explain his odd need to impress the brunette on the lower landing. "As you can see, there's not a single particle of those pathetic fools left in this dimension. I have no patience for obstacles that get in my way--remember that," he said and walked down the steps, but stopping three from the bottom. He enjoyed the slight height advantage over the very tall boy.

Tristan jerked around at the sound of the spirits voice, having forgotten he was there when he got lost in his thoughts. He glared at the other boy. "I don't know how you did that, and I probably don't wanna know. Just tell me who you are. What you want. I know you're not really our friend Ryou."

Bakura smirked and Tristan's eyes widened in a moment. That smirk. That over-confident smirk. He had seen it before. He remembered.

"You're the one Yugi beat," Tristan stated with a slight awe to his voice. "He banished you to the graveyard, and in the process he freed Ryou from your mind control."

"Yes, but that wouldn't have happened if my other hadn't betrayed me," Bakura stated simply, and continued to the landing, feeling that he no longer needed those few extra inches. "I've come to the conclusion that my other is weak, and I've decided I need a new host." 

Bakura was hit with a strong emotion of worry from his other.

__

You do?

****

Quiet. I will if you don't stop sniveling.

Ryou's mind seemed to settle at this harsh remark, considering it and its normalcy to be a good sign. He quieted and Bakura felt a connection made inside, which let him know that Ryou was now watching.

Tristan jumped to the first conclusion he could think of. "You won't take me without a fight." 

"Oh won't I? Ha, well, that is completely beside the point. I always get what I want. And besides I don't want your body, per say." The spirit paused and raised an eyebrow. "I want a vessel without a mind or soul of its own." 

A light bulb went on somewhere. "You want Mokuba!" 

"Indeed, now turn him over, or face the same fate as those guards," Bakura said, and watched with slight satisfaction as a fog of darkness seemed to work it's way both down the steps from the tower and up the stairs from the ground floor towards them. Tristan looked around. There had to be a way out of this. A way that included him being able to save not only himself and Mokuba, but Ryou as well.

"So what will it be, mortal? Are you going to hand over Mokuba willingly, or do I have to conjure something to consume your soul?" 

Tristan shook his head. "Forget it. No way. You're not taking any of us without a fight." 

"You know I have the power to back up my threats," Bakura stated, letting his eyes fall to half-mast. His gaze wandered over the brunette's body for the second time that day. He was appealing to look at.

Tristan shifted and swung Mokuba's body around until he was cradling it to his chest. He looked at him and bit his lip. He couldn't take on a spirit. Especially one like this, with an internal hostage and an entire dimension behind him. He couldn't let Mokuba or Ryou fall into this spirit's hands. This was his responsibility, and come hell or psychotic spirits, he was going to do what he had to do.

Bakura felt the urge to reach out and touch the other boy. He quelled it and settled for a provocative stare, tilting his chin just so as to give him that look of superiority and confidence. "Hand him over this instant, or I **will** dispatch you to the Graveyard." 

Tristan had to think fast. "Yeah, I remember," he said, gesturing as best he could with his chin to the other's chest. "Your evil power comes from that, the Millennium Ring."

Bakura couldn't help the smile that came across his face. His power was rather awe-inspiring, he had to admit. And explaining its intricacies was something he enjoyed doing.

"That's right. The Ring not only allows me to control my other, Ryou; it gives me many other magical abilities as well," he said, extending his hand and raising an eyebrow. "So unless you want a more personal demonstration of my power, you'll stop resisting me. Since you know any attempt will be pointless...why sacrifice yourself when you know I'll still wind up in possession of him in the end?

__

A more personal demonstration? Ryou may have seemed innocent, but even he could pick up double-entendre when he had to. He _was _a teenage boy.

**__**

Quiet…

Tristan lifted his gaze to meet the hard one of the spirit's. Somehow he had been able to catch a fading thought of something besides the literal meaning. The spirit wasn't just talking about Mokuba anymore. He was talking about Ryou. Suddenly an image passed through his mind. Since Ryou's arrival at Domino High, Tristan had made a bit of a subconscious effort to keep a bit of a watch over him. Sort of like a big brother type deal, or so he had thought.

Days would pass and he would glimpse a bruise in the locker room, a busted lip at lunch. He'd just thought that it was bullies, but upon following Ryou home one day, he found that he made him home rather safely. That protection had grown into a bit of a crush, much to Tristan's horror. Maybe it was that Ryou _acted_ so female, or maybe it was the hair, whatever the reason, Tristan had a bit of a problem.

He took a step backward and unconsciously wished he could somehow pull Ryou with him like he had Mokuba. He was having a hard time at the moment. What with realizing that he had two other people's lives on his hands, knowing of his slight crush on one of them since the beginning of the semester, and the thought of being thrown into an alternate plane of existence all heavily weighing on his mind; he was hard pressed for a solution. A brief thought flashed through his mind.

It was going to be a long afternoon.

To Be Continued…


	4. Aesthetic Persuasion

Author's Note: This is a teaser chapter. If you want the full lemon you will have to go to my profile page and get the address for the site there. Sorry, but I don't want to lose my account.

Enjoy.

Aesthetic Persuasion

Tristan shifted the body he cradled in his arms. "Do you hurt him?"

"Not too terribly. You make it sound like I maim my other half." Bakura smirked, idly looking at the walls of the tower.

"You still hurt him though," Tristan pushed.

"It's good for him, and I enjoy it. Why do you concern yourself?"

"What?"

"What do you care?" Bakura expounded.

"Ryou's my friend," Tristan all but hissed. Who did this spirit think he was to ask him why? He shifted Mokuba again. The kid was getting heavier by the minute. What did Kaiba feed him?

"I'm quite sure…" came Bakura's amused reply.

"Mokuba, Ryou, and I are all getting out of here. All three of us, minus you, what ever _you _are." Tristan said, taking a step forward. The Shadow Realm shivered above and below them, but receded.

Bakura raised an eyebrow and regarded the brunette. "I'm not one for physical violence. But I am one to always strike a deal."

"You're a thief. Since when is 'compromising' in your job description?"

"Since now," Bakura replied evenly. "I will give you my word that Ryou will remain unharmed _if _you give me something in return."

"I won't give you Mokuba," Tristan growled and held the boy a bit tighter.

"You assumption skills leave much to be desired, mortal," Bakura said, walking in a circle around Tristan, who whipped his head from one side to the other in order to keep the tomb robber in view. "For once this is not for the gain of myself, but for a bigger plan. I fancy…a bit of…well, a partner, but in lighter terms."

"I'm not sure I get this," Tristan said.

"I want you. There. Simple enough for you? I want your body, and I want your body to do as I tell it, free of question and without disagreement. You would become, well, my sidekick, if you will. I want you to submit to that demand…" Bakura trailed off.

"…In exchange for Ryou's safety." Tristan finished slowly, looking straight out, almost as though he had already accepted it. He…he just had to do this. He could handle this spirit. Seriously, he told himself, he could do it. For Ryou? Sure, for Ryou. "I'll do it."

Bakura smirked. That was too easy, and he did love to play devil's advocate. "How do you know I won't lie?"

"Yeah, you're clever, but I think you'd keep your word," Tristan forced himself to say, trying to convince himself of what he had just said.

"You're either very optimistic or incredibly stupid," Bakura said. "Give me the boy."

At Tristan's guarded look, Bakura continued, "I have no reason to switch bodies now. Your deal was for Ryou, so the moment my other's loose you'll no longer be bound to me. Besides, I think you'll be easier to handle than a miffed Seto Kaiba."

/ - / - / - / - / - / - / - / - / - / - / - / - / - / - / - / - / - /

Bakura whipped through the hallways quicker than he had before, using his memory to recall where exactly all the turns had been made. His body tingled again, and Ryou's voice came floating through his mind.

__

You're going to put Mokuba back, right? His other's worried voice said.

**__**

But of course, little one. When have I ever broken a promise? The spirit sneered.

Ryou couldn't actually recall a broken promise, but he did mentally go over the entire conversation to make sure that there were no loopholes that his dark half could use to get out of the situation.

__

Why are you doing this?

Bakura paused for a moment as far as thinking went. Why exactly was he doing this? Well, for one thing, it would make Ryou happy, and with Ryou happy that meant less resistance to his plans no matter how morally corrupting they were, for another it would give him a bit of inside position on just what the Pharaoh and his little other were up to. Tristan was deeper in the friendship circle than Ryou.

/ - / - / - / - / - / - / - / - / - / - / - / - / - / - / - / - / - /

Tristan stood waiting against the same wall he had been waiting against for the last twenty minutes according to his wristwatch. The spirit had said that he would leave Mokuba in the care of the others and return shortly, and that so help him insert some Egyptian deity that Tristan had never heard of, he would kill him if he even thought of moving from this wall.

He heard footsteps on the steps below him, and forced himself not to move. But what if it was more guards? A flash of silver hair appeared, gradually building into the slender body of Ryou Bakura, only it wasn't Ryou. It was his other, and Tristan mentally chastised himself for never knowing the difference before now. The spirit was taller, if only by two or three inches, harder looking, and the hair was wilder.

Bakura was taking the steps two at a time, and he flashed a secretive grin at Tristan once they were on the same plateau. Yes, the hair was definitely wilder.

"I'm glad to see you waited, mortal." Bakura said, walking up to the other boy.

"Do me the small favor of calling me by my name."

Bakura raised a slender eyebrow and smirked. Taking a step closer, he slid his hand over Tristan's hip feeling the skin sweep under his palm. Tristan knocked the hand away in an attempt to keep the tomb raider at a distance, only to receive a glare for his efforts.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" he asked hotly.

"Do not fight me." Bakura whispered, breathing lightly against the other's neck. The agreement was settled, but even if Tristan did turn back, Bakura was positive that he would take him anyway, with or without his consent. 

Tristan swallowed. "I didn't know this was what you meant by 'wanting my body'…"

"I thought I had made it rather clear," Bakura said, and let his hand come back to the waist and slip up under the shirt where he felt smooth skin heat up under his touch. 

"Do you rape Ryou, too?" Tristan asked, looking away, out over Bakura's shoulder, as though he thought that he could pretend it wasn't happening. He had to keep reminding himself that he was doing this for Ryou and Mokuba. Ryou would be hurt if he didn't go along with this, and Mokuba would, well, Mokuba was safe. Damn it, he really was just doing this only for Ryou…

"It doesn't have to be like this," Bakura whispered against the other's ear. "You could just enjoy it and not have to act like you don't want to."

"I don't want to."

"Of course you don't." Bakura sneered and then bit sharply at Tristan's neck. Tristan gasped slightly, but cut himself off as he snapped his mouth shut. Bakura shoved him against the wall and pulled the shirt over his head before Tristan could protest. Feverish lips attached themselves to sweltering skin and Bakura began his fun.

"And to answer your question: no. I've never touched him…like that. Not yet anyway." Tristan leaned heavily against the wall in an attempt to distance himself, but Bakura was insistent and there was no way he could get away from him. The contrast between Bakura's hot mouth and the wall's cool surface was doing little to distract him. Bakura's hands found themselves at his pants, where the material was undone and pulled away from slender hips.

"Stop…"

Bakura laughed, but paused and looked at the brunette's profile. Strong angular features proclaimed that his would-be lover would fight him, but there must be some breaking point. The tomb raider mused on this point. The other was proud, but not too proud. Perhaps if it was overly-enjoyable…

"Have you ever been with another man?" Bakura asked, making the question appear like he was asking if a store carried a particular brand of toothpaste.

Tristan stiffened but didn't respond. Bakura smiled to himself and wrapped his arms around the other's waist, effectively trapping his arms to his sides. Raising sculpted eyebrows, the tomb raider looked at his catch.

"Being a jock you must have grown quite used to painting such a lovely picture of yourself. You like girls…cheerleaders, perhaps? And hang out with 'macho' guys…But I would wager that this is not all true."

Tristan grunted and refused to meet Bakura's steady gaze. Bakura merely smiled and hooked one hand in the waistband of Tristan's pants and let the other enter them. Tristan's eyes widened but he held his ground and refused to give any other indication to the spirit. Bakura lapped at his neck, and cupped the other boy's semi-hard length.

Tristan bit his lip at the action, continuing to debate the situation at hand. He was doing this for a reason. If he went along with it Bakura would leave Ryou alone. He would use Tristan instead, and he knew he could handle it. He would rather be here than Ryou any day. He was strong enough.

Bakura's other hand was suddenly grasping the back of his head and Tristan hissed. The spirit hadn't said he would be gentle. Bakura pulled harshly on the hair indicating that Tristan should drop down to his knees on the stone plateau. Tristan reluctantly fell to his knees, wincing at the harsh contact with the floor.

"We'll go easy this time, then." Bakura said. "Undo them."

Tristan didn't argue with the spirit. The voice was too calm to actually be kind. It was deadly, void of emotion. The type a man exhibits before killing something or someone. He first undid the top button of the other's jeans, painfully aware of the hand in his hair. The zipper came down with a small whine, and Tristan worked the pants so that they rode low over the hips, exposing white underwear. Typical. Just what he figured on Ryou wearing.

Deep brown eyes watched for his reaction, but Tristan remained impassive. He lowered the ridge of the underwear and swallowed at the sight of another arousal. This was weird. He knew what the spirit wanted, had read about it, heard his friends talk about it, and dreamt about it himself. Bakura growled and pulled his head forward. Tristan pulled against the hand and instead nipped at the sensitive skin above the navel. He had to do this. For Ryou's sake.

Bakura's muscles tightened at the unexpected touch, and he let his grip loosen a moment. Tristan trailed a bit lower on the stomach, letting his tongue sweep over the soft skin. He reveled in the new touch of the other's skin, noticing everything from the faint taste of dirt and salt, to the smell of grass.. Evil or not, Bakura was still a beautiful spirit, and most people would probably admit it. Tristan had never been with another man, had thought about it, but told no one. His recent attraction to the snow-haired boy had frightened him, and even Joey knew nothing of the secret crush.

On impulse, Tristan let his mouth go a bit higher towards the waist and then he bit sharply, pinching the skin between his sharp teeth.

Bakura's eyes shot open as the pain shot through his lower abdomen. He gripped the other's hair forcefully and yanked the insolent boy to his feet, glaring at him. He wondered briefly if Tristan knew what his movement had mirrored. Animals would bite their mates on the stomach to show dominance over the other, as baring the stomach was considered a sign of submission. Bakura slammed the thought away from his mind and threw Tristan against the wall. He quickly closed his pants and reached forward to grab a stunned Tristan by the hair at the nape of his neck.

He twisted his wrist at an angle that was painful for even him, but did not lessen the pressure. Tristan squirmed in the spirit's grasp, his scalp was burning at the point where Bakura held his hair. Pinpricks of pain danced up the back of his neck, and he had to quell the urge to cry out at the pain.

Bakura held him to the wall and put his mouth to his ear.

"I will make you pay for that."

__

Stop! The world spun and slowed, but Bakura made sure that his grip remained firm on the brunette's hair, even as he slipped into the alternate plane.

**__**

What? Came his annoyed reply. Ryou approached him and stared into his eyes. Bakura glared back. He was doing this for a reason. He had worked too hard with Ryou to throw everything away on a risky lay with a headstrong albeit rather handsome brunette.

__

This has gone far enough. Hasn't he proven himself? Ryou asked desperately, looking out the Holographic Eye and into the room, where Tristan was still wincing in Bakura's arms. 

Bakura thought for a moment. **_Not yet._**

He felt his body fly forward and was suddenly holding Tristan in an even harder grip. He loosened it and looked at the boy. 

Tristan gazed back, but didn't struggle. He was doing this for Ryou. He was taking this so that Ryou wouldn't have to. He felt the fear begin to pool in his stomach and repeated his purpose over and over again in his mind.

"Why are you doing this?" Bakura asked.

Tristan glared. "I told you. For Ryou."

"Does he mean that much to you?" Bakura asked, knowing exactly what he implied. Tristan looked into his eyes and took a deep breath, exhaling it slowly through his nose. 

"He means that much. I'd do anything to make it so you had to keep your hands off him…obviously." He finished, nodding his head off to the left, as though to imply the current situation as an example.

Bakura smirked. **_Excellent._**

He leaned forward and let his lips brush the other's while his eyes remained locked with brown ones. He quirked his eyebrow and whispered seductively against the others lips.

"What if I told you he's fine. That he was perfectly okay with me, and that this was all a test?"

"I would call you a fucking liar." Tristan said evenly.

Bakura grinned and laid his head against the other, letting his forehead be caressed by the smooth, hairless skin of Tristan's chest. He grinned, he couldn't help it anyway. This whole thing was amusing. Suddenly he felt his stomach churn like someone was twisting the vital organs that made him what he was.

The dizziness wore off, and he knew that Ryou had separated from him. He looked up with hooded eyes to watch Tristan's gaze. Tristan was looking over his shoulder with a slack jaw and wide eyes. He felt the sudden intake of breath in the lungs of the boy and smirked again.

"Ryou?!"

Bakura looked over his shoulder, secretly loving the shiver that Tristan let out as his hair brushed the brunette's chest. He saw Ryou standing there with his hands behind him, probably clasping each other, as his boy was prone to do when he was nervous. Ryou nodded while shifting slightly from foot to foot.

Tristan's eyes seemed to shatter. The boy was based almost completely on pride and what others thought of him. The things he did mattered little if they helped no one. He looked away and off to the right again.

"Ryou, please go. I don't want you to see this." He was begging and he knew it and it made him sick. Tristan wanted to scream at Ryou to leave him and Bakura to this thing, but at the same time he wanted Ryou to tell him that it was all right and that he and the spirit were fine and that he wouldn't have to go through with this. This was what hurt the most. He was a coward and willing to back out.

"What if I don't want to leave?" Ryou's voice was calm, firm, and very quiet, as though he was afraid to trust his voice. Bakura watched his other over his shoulder. He was almost willing to say that he was proud of him.

Tristan turned his head slowly, his eyes wide with misunderstanding and confusion. Was he was a pervert or had Ryou just asked to watch? The lighter half pushed onward, taking a step forward.

"What if I want to watch or…help?"

To Be Continued…


	5. Breach of Faith

**__**

Important Author's Note: If you want the entire 'LEMON' version of chapter four, you must go to my alternate site for it. My profile page has the link.

Thank you.

Breach of Faith

Ryou woke up first. With a yawn and a small stretch he moved off of Tristan who made a small noise and curled up on his side. Ryou smiled at the other boy and rolled him back over to face him.

"Tristan, wake up. The others will wonder where we are," the pale-haired boy spoke quietly.

Brown eyes opened and blinked, trying to clear the haze of their owner's mind. Tristan dully realized how much his ass hurt, couple this with the still very cold floor and he was mildly uncomfortable. He took a deep breath and managed to sit up with a smiling Ryou in his lap.

"Are you all right?" the smaller one asked.

Tristan nodded and stretched, forcing himself to stand. His back hurt, and was probably bruised. He started to pull on his clothes when he felt cool hands forcing him to look up from tying his shoes.

Ryou leaned down and kissed him, Tristan complied but maintained dominance, slipping his tongue into the other boy's mouth. Ryou made a pleased noised, and Tristan pulled away after a moment.

"You seem happy," he observed, turning away to finish with his shoes.

"I am," the smaller boy confirmed with a small smile, and then looked worried. "But you don't…"

Tristan pulled on his coat, turning to see that Ryou was dressed as well. "How could you lie to me, Ryou? How could you lie to everyone like that?"

Ryou's face darkened at the other's tone. "It's not like that--"

"It's exactly like that!" Tristan said, his voice betraying the hurt that was just under the surface.

Ryou's face fell. "It's not," he said finally. "I care about you, and even the others. But every hero needs a bad-guy, right? It's not my fault that my other half is the evil one…" Ryou trailed off as he started down the stairs.

"You don't have to be!" Tristan yelled down the stairs as he made to follow the boy.

Ryou stopped and looked up. "Don't I?"

Tristan watched, his eyes softened.

"Come on, Tristan. The others will get worried."

Tristan started down the stairs. He hoped no one had noticed they were gone. He vaguely wondered just how long they had been asleep. The sun was still out and shining very brightly. So they had either slept through an entire day or only about forty-five minutes or so.

He sighed and ran a hand through his messy hair. What would Joey say? They had been best friends ever since he could remember. If he should be able to talk to anyone about this, it should be Joey. But just what would the blond say?

Whatever Yugi told him to, Tristan finished bitterly.

Ryou sensed the unrest in the brunette. He thought for a moment that maybe it had failed and that his one chance to have a companion had passed. They had moved too quickly, taking the element of surprise too far. Ryou shouldn't have done what he did…but it had felt so good.

**__**

He is not lost.

Isn't he?

****

You doubt me, little one?

It doesn't matter.

Ryou felt the world shift again, and the room seemed to turn into liquid. He realized that Bakura was trying to take over, and gave in. The room retained its solidarity and then he was in his soul room. Bakura walked by and smirked at him.

Tristan glanced at Ryou when he saw him falter at the bottom of what seemed like the thousandth staircase they had come down. The boy had been stubbornly silent, and Tristan was feeling bad for pushing him. Maybe he didn't understand his situation.

Suddenly Ryou had him against the wall and warm lips were covering his own. Tristan wanted to protest the action. He wasn't done arguing with Ryou at the moment. He also wanted to kiss the living daylights out of the other boy. Choices, choices…

A warm tongue pressed against the seam of his lips and Tristan stubbornly pushed his own forward. The two tongues pressed against each other between open mouths, as the two fought for the better angle to take over. Bakura finally gave in, only to bite Tristan's tongue as it come into reach.

Tristan made a startled noise and pulled back. "Ryou…!"

Bakura grabbed the other boy by the front of his shirt and forced him back against the wall for a second time.

"Bakura!"

The spirit smirked at the surprise and anger in the voice. He moved a hand to thread it into hair that had long since fallen out of its usual spike-ness. The darker one came forward and licked slightly parted lips, only to feel surprise at a pair of equally enthusiastic lips against his own.

The two kissed heatedly, tongues warring and the two only parting for air. Tristan was wary of the demon's teeth, and soon submitted the round of kissing to Bakura who took advantage of it and let his hands travel from the other's coat to his neck, turning his captive's head to an angle more complimentary of his own.

Bakura finally pulled away with a grin. As Tristan was about to say something he cut in.

"Don't think. What do you want?"

Tristan panted a moment and then met the other's eyes. "More of that."

"Good. I assumed as much," the spirit said, turning towards the steps. "Let's go. I can't risk your friends noticing how long you were gone."

Tristan felt a bitter twinge. "They probably didn't even notice we were gone."

Bakura looked over his shoulder and gave the other a particularly evil grin. "You're probably right."

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Yugi looked up from his cards, feeling the dark spirit receding from his conscious.

He had won the duel with Pegasus. Said man was slumped against his dueling station making pitiful noises and scrambling through his deck that was scattered about the console. Yugi heaved a sigh as the platinum haired duelist ran from the arena, and turned to face his friends. Only…someone was missing. Tristan? Where was he?

"Yugi! You did so well!" Anzu said standing back behind a Joey who looked to be struggling with words.

"Yeah, man, you were great. What I mean is—"

Anzu pushed forward and hugged Yugi. "What he means is we're so proud of you. You were wonderful."

Yugi nodded and continued to look around. Where was Ryou as well? What had become of his friends?

"Heh, sorry guys, I'm just a little tired. Dueling in the Shadow Realm really takes it out of you," the young duelist said with a grin.

Joey grinned, "But at least you're okay, right Yug?"

Yugi looked up and smiled, "Yeah, but where are Tristan and Ry—"

The lower level door flew open as Tristan burst through, his long legs carrying him in powerful strides to the others. Ryou followed closely behind, with a grin that Yugi would have sworn he had seen before. And was Ryou taller?

Yugi couldn't put his finger on it, but something was different. Ryou was walking with more confidence, and Tristan was smirking. Not his usual smile, but a full-scale confident smirk. His steps were self-assured, and he walked as though nothing could touch him. Ryou, as well, had an air about him, as though he was above it all.

"So Yugi," Tristan said walking over. "I take it you won, like always."

Yugi didn't normally get instant feelings about people, but he knew he didn't like the tone that Tristan had used. Tea seemed to feel it as well as she turned to Yugi and raised a sculpted eyebrow. Joey, however, was oblivious.

"Man! You got to ask?" he said with a laugh and gave Tristan a high-five. Tristan returned it, but his eyes didn't hold the usual laughter at his friend's antics. Now they had more of a predatory glow, like how a cat would watch a mouse that it knew it could catch.

"Well," Yugi began, taking a step backwards putting himself behind Joey and Tea. "I need to go collect my prize from Pegasus. I just have to find him first…" he trailed off looking at the doors that the platinum-haired man had left through.

"Yeah, we should, unless he tries to leave or something before we can get our hands on that prize money!" Joey said with gritted teeth.

"And free Grandpa's, Seto's, and Mokuba's souls." Yugi added with a smile and started for the doors. Tristan started to follow, but the spirit's hand grabbed his sleeve and pulled him back. He gave Bakura a questioning look, but the spirit just smirked.

"Come on, guys." Yugi said turning to find that Ryou and Tristan weren't following.

"I don't think so, Yugi. Me and Ryou, we're gonna stay here and wait for you guys."

Yugi frowned but nodded, following Joey and Tea through the doors.

Tristan turned back to Bakura. "Why aren't we going?"

"Because, my pet, we have other things to do."

"Like what, and don't call me pet, will ya?" Tristan asked, his hand going to the front of his shirt where his cross still hung. He remembered the feel of Ryou's cool fingers on it and shivered.

Bakura watched his hand. Mesmerized by the human's faint grasp to his morals even now. He met Tristan's eyes and gave him a delicious smile.

"You'll see."

Tristan stood there a moment, looking after his friends still holding the cross through his shirt. What had all of this stood for? Trust, sacrifice? Yugi never did those things for him…not even for Joey who at least deserved that much from him.

Tristan took a deep breath and reached into his shirt and ripped the cross along with chain off his neck. He stared at it one more time and then turned and hurled it off the side of the arena and watched it fall into the darkness.

Bakura smiled at Tristan who looked vaguely uncomfortable with what he had done.

Tristan stared at Bakura and remembered Ryou's words: _"But every hero needs a bad-guy, right? It's not my fault that my other half is the evil one…"_

Had the devil asked to be the devil? Had God wanted to be God? Had Yugi asked for the Puzzle? Ryou for the Ring?

"Come, Taylor. The hunt is on, and I sense an unguarded Millenium Item."

Tristan nodded and followed the spirit into the halls. Just like every hero needs a nemesis; that same hero needs a sidekick, a love interest, and yes, even a Judas.

Finish.


End file.
